New York Industrial Hemp Expected to Grow as Research ExpandsUSAgNet - 03/13/2018

Industrial hemp is growing beyond the hype.

Scientists, farmers, processors and government officials convened at Cornell University for the state's first industrial hemp research forum, part of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's 2018 State of the State proposal to establish New York as a national leader in
industrial hemp research, production and processing.

The upcoming growing season provides a second year of field testing by researchers at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), after New York become the 19th state to legalize hemp research trials in 2015. CALS researchers, along with those at
Morrisville State College, are researching industrial hemp to improve agronomic outcomes for farmers. Cornell has been funded to identify and breed cultivars suitable for New York and establish certified seed production in the state.

This year, Cornell will expand cultivar trials to the northernmost and southernmost parts of the state, and has initiated a long-term hemp breeding program aided by $2 million in new state funding. Using genomics to speed the breeding process, the work will lead
to the development of cultivars adapted to New York conditions.

Project lead Larry Smart, professor in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS), said that the breeding work is now underway, and estimates that cultivars optimized for New York growers could be ready for release in three to
four years.

"Cornell and CALS are uniquely positioned -- with our School of Integrative Plant Science and Cornell Cooperative Extension -- to provide research-based answers and outreach to support this initiative for New York," said Kathryn J. Boor '80, the Ronald P.
Lynch Dean of CALS, speaking at the forum held in Stocking Hall.

Cornell researchers conducted trials last year on the Ithaca campus, at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva, and on 1,700 acres of hemp planted in collaboration with 24 farmers across the state. The first phase of work
established insights into the most promising cultivars and optimal growing conditions for New York.

Hemp studies at Cornell span a range of expertise, from plant pathologists studying diseases to entomologists surveying for pests of hemp. Both are important given that there are no chemical controls registered for use on the plant. A team of 10 extension
associates are building connections between researchers, farmers and processors, while biotechnology experts on campus are exploring metabolites of the plant.

Building on the initial work, Cornell plant breeders are testing cultivars and creating a database on their relative performance and grain qualities.